Cuts to commuting MPs home claims

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MPs living outside London, but within a "reasonable" commuting distance of Westminster could lose their second homes allowance under Sir Christopher Kelly's expenses proposals.

Twenty five Inner London MPs were already barred from claiming the allowance.

From April 2010, another 54 MPs from constituencies wholly within 20 miles of Westminster will be added to the list - becoming eligible only for the London costs allowance.

KELLY REPORT <a class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/04_11_09_mpsexpenses.pdf">Committee on Standards in Public Life: MPs' expenses and allowances [976 KB]</a> Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html">Download the reader here</a>

Sir Christopher Kelly's report on MPs' expenses suggests MPs from a further 12 constituencies which can be reached by both car and train within 60 minutes should also be denied the second homes claim.

"Constituencies such as Dartford and Sevenoaks are not significantly harder to reach than some outer London constituencies," he said in his report.

"A journey from Westminster to Dagenham East station, or Sevenoaks station by public transport, for example, departing Westminster at 22:30 would take approximately 45 minutes."

He does however suggest the rule would "need to be applied pragmatically" and suggests the independent regulator draw up a definitive list.

Last year, 40 MPs from the 66 constituencies identified claimed for a second home allowance, only one of the 12 MPs outside the 20 mile zone did not - Adam Afriyie, MP for Windsor.

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/nol/shared/spl/hi/uk_politics/09/mps_expenses/css/mps_expenses.css" type="text/css"><colgroup><col width="161"><col width="160"><col width="145"></colgroup><caption>Claims by MPs in areas affected by proposals</caption><thead><th class="center_align bold_row">Outside 20 mile zone, within 60 minutes' travel</th><th class="center_align bold_row">MPs</th><th class="center_align bold_row">Second home allowance claim 2007-2008</th></thead><tbody>BroxbourneCharles WalkerCON£10,358DartfordHoward StoateLAB£17,883Epping ForestEleanor LaingCON£23,082MaidenheadTheresa MayCON£4,288Mole ValleyPaul BeresfieldCON£3,521ReigateCrispin BluntCON£23,083RunnymedePhilip HammondCON£23,075SevenoaksMichael FallonCON£22,853SloughFiona MactaggartLAB£3,392St AlbansAnne MainCON£22,091Welwyn HatfieldGrant ShappsCON£7,269WindsorAdam AfriyieCON£0   Within 20 miles of WestminsterMPsSecond home allowance claim 2007-2008BarkingMargaret HodgeLAB £0BeckenhamJacqui LaitCON£15,478BexleyheathDavid EvennettCON£0Brentford and IsleworthAnn Keen£19,855Brent EastSarah TeatherLD£0Brent NorthBarry GardinerLAB£15,079Brent SouthDawn ButlerLAB£23,083BromleyBob NeillCON£19,108CarshaltonTom BrakeLD£0ChingfordIain Duncan SmithCON£0Chipping BarnetTheresa VilliersCON£18,181Croydon CentralAndrew Pelling INDCON£0Croydon NorthMalcolm WicksLAB£0Croydon SouthRichard OttawayCON£21,481DagenhamJon CruddasLAB£23,071Ealing ActonAndrew SlaughterLAB£0Ealing NorthStephen PoundLAB£0Ealing SouthallVirendra SharmaLAB£0East HamStephen TimmsLAB£0EdmontonAndy LoveLAB£23,083Enfield NorthJoan RyanLAB£21,658Enfield S'GateDavid BurrowesCON£0Epsom and EwellChris GraylingCON£15,332Erith ThamesmeadJohn AustinLAB£23,083Esher and WaltonIan TaylorCON£23,083Feltham and HestonAlan KeenLAB£19,855Finchley and Golders GreenRudi VisLAB£23,083Harrow EastTony McNultyLAB£12,600Harrow WestGareth ThomasLAB£11,748Hayes and HarlingtonJohn McDonnellLAB£0HendonAndrew DismoreLAB£3,815HertsmereJames ClappisonCON£15,916HornchurchJames BrokenshireCON£368HornseyLynne FeatherstoneLD£0Ifford NorthLee ScottCON£0Ilford SouthMike GapesLAB£22,291KingstonEdward DaveyLD£0LeytonHarry CohenLAB£23,083Mitcham and MordenSiobhain McDonaghLAB£0Old BexleyDerek Conway INDCON£23,033OrpingtonJohn HoramCON£11,452Richmond ParkSusan KramerLD£0RomfordAndrew RosindellCON£23,083RuislipNick HurdCON£0SpelthorneDavid WilshireCON£23,083Sutton and CheamPaul BurstowLD£0TottenhamDavid LammyLAB£0TwickenhamVincent CableLD£0UpminsterAngela WatkinsonCON£21,234UxbridgeJohn RandallCON£0WalthamstowNeil GerrardLAB£0WatfordClaire WardLAB£23,083West HamLyn BrownLAB£15,889WimbledonStephen HammondCON£0</tbody>

SOURCE: Parliament and BBC Political Research